AJKSA condoles demise of senior teacher due to COVID
Schools following all SOPs, condemns selective FIR against schools: (AJKSA)
Advocates impartial inquiry, laments on witch-hunting of private schools
Jammu, May 17 (KB): All Jammu and Kashmir Schools Associations (AJSA), an amalgam of all leading private school association from both Kashmir and Jammu divisions, today condoled the demise of a senior teacher of St Mary’s Presentation Convent Jammu.
The Associations held a joint virtual meeting in which all the members participated to discuss the pandemic related issues. “All the members expressed their condolence on the demise of a teacher recently in Jammu and others who passed away in this pandemic. They offered their condolences to the bereaved family,” said a spokesperson of AJKSA.
The Associations however lamented the fact that some people have been trying to use such a human issue to defame the private schools. “Soon after the demise there was a campaign against the school and various accusations were hurled on it. It seems to be part of the vicious campaign against the private schools in general. Within no time an FIR was also registered,” said the spokesperson.
“The principal of St Mary’s Presentation Convent Jammu also participated in the meeting and presented the facts from her side. She said that the school has been religiously following all the SOPs and there was no laxity on part of it. The family of deceased teacher have not raised any complaint against the school and it is some vested interests who made baseless accusations due to their unknown ulterior motives,” said the spokesperson. “The principal said that they presented all the facts before the inquiry committee and till date nothing has been proven against the school.”
The Associations advocated an impartial inquiry into the death of the said teacher. “Let the government appoint a senior inquiry officer and investigate right from beginning how the teacher contracted the virus and what happened thereafter on the medical front,” he said.
The Associations said that no school would want its teacher or student to be harmed by anything. It criticised the filing of FIR selectively against the private school. “In this pandemic situation there have been gross violations of SOPs, in both government departments and private institutions. There have been reports of COVID positive persons roaming in markets or some institutions throwing SOPs to winds. Till date no action has been taken in those cases but when it comes to Private Schools everything changes,” said the Spokesperson. “Our schools are already going through existential crisis and now blaming schools on spreading the infection is becoming the last straw. We demand an impartial inquiry into the death of the teacher and also action should be taken against those who make baseless accusations against the schools.” (KB — Kashmir Bulletin)
